Jackie Shroff Reveals Wife Ayesha Left Lavish Life To Live In Chawl With Him: "She Queued To Go To The Toilet"

Jackie Shroff recently opened up about his love story with wife Ayesha and recalled the first time he saw her. 

What's Happening

• In an interview with SCREEN, Jackie Shroff said, "It was love at first sight with Ayesha, she was travelling in a bus and I was on a bike driving behind that bus. It was my friend's bike, and I was going to his building because it had a pool table. I saw her on the bus. She was hanging by the holding handle and was holding a flag. She was coming from a march past. She was 14-15 at that time and I said to myself, 'This is the lady I shall marry.'"
• After Ayesha got off the bus, Jackie introduced himself and the two spoke for a while. A couple of days later, Ayesha's friend approached him and shared that she believed Jackie should consider acting. 
• She even told him about an audition being held by filmmaker OP Ralhan. Jackie recalled, "Role nahi mila but we fell in love (I didn't get the role but I fell in love with Ayesha)."

Background

The couple got married in 1987. At the time, Jackie was a struggling actor living in a chawl. "My house was running in Rs 30 when I was living in a chawl. Nobody expected anything from me. My wife stayed in one room with me at the chawl, she queued in line to go to the washroom. I lived 33 years at the chawl," he said.

Jackie also spoke about Ayesha's privileged background. Her father, Ranjan Dutt, was a decorated Air Vice Marshal who was awarded the Vir Chakra and went on to head Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). 

Despite her comfortable upbringing, Ayesha stood by Jackie and even supported him financially. "My wife sold her house to get me a house. She took care of me," he said.

Jackie added that Ayesha's father had no objections to their relationship. "No, he didn't object, he must have seen my intention. He must have thought that I am a horse for the long race. I know I wasn't how a young lad should have been, but maybe they trusted me and I haven't let their trust down," he shared.